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Ebo Taylor / Pat Thomas / Henrik Schwarz – Ene Nyame ‘A’ Mensuro (Henrik Schwarz Blend)
Putting his own unique twist on legendary Ghanaian Highlife artist Ebo Taylor’s classic, Henrik Schwarz adds his inevitable surging bassline and 4×4 rhythm to its uplifting horn samples to create a powerful, dynamic track. Schwarz’s genuine ability to turn even the most obscure records into dancefloor bangers is incredible and this beautiful adaptation invokes the tribal passion of the original, with a relentless stomping beat which makes this track an irresistible party starter. Taken from the Ebo Taylor / Pat Thomas / Henrik Schwarz – Ene Nyame ‘A’ Mensuro (Henrik Schwarz Blend) release on Strut Records.
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HNNY – Cheer Up, My Brother
The first single from his remarkable debut album, Sunday. ‘Cheer Up, My Brother’ is everything that its title suggests, an uplifting, almost spiritual tribute to positivity. Essentially a particularly eloquent “Hakuna Matata”, this song has no worries, a slow plodding beat, folky vocal and strings that match the relaxed, careless yet carefully put together tune that will have even the most ardent pessimists smiling at the world.
Taken from the HNNY – Sunday release on Omena.
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Floating Points – Silhouettes (I, II & III)
No Best-Of list would be complete without a track from the impeccable debut album from Sam Shepherd. The depths that his absorbing tracks plunge to whilst also managing to soar at such great heights put the classically trained Manchester native on a pedestal as the most versatile producer around. His ability to churn out dance tunes as well as eloquently put together ambient compositions is illustrated magnificently in ‘Silhouettes’. An astonishing piece of music which explores music’s ability to trigger emotions and really absorb one’s self wholeheartedly.
Taken from the Floating Points – Elaenia release on Pluto.
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Ticklish – Jealousy (B-Ju Remix)
Producing crazy mutant breakbeat/jungle/footwork music in a country where Techno is very much the genre of choice for most music producers, German producer Ticklish consistently makes great beats. In this instance he enlists the help of compatriot B-Ju to refine and really polish off this amazingly clappy, playful track with Eastern-inspired whistles that go off like sirens throughout, yet still leave the track sounding remarkably smooth.
Taken from the B-Ju & Ticklish – Dualities release on Apothecary Compositions.
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Andreya Triana – Gold (Max Graef Remix)
Somehow managing to improve Andreya Triana’s sumptuous vocals even more, Max Graef works his magic on ‘Gold’ to create a woozy, luscious track that employs oddball sounds and jazzy notes to create an intensely laidback beat. The German producer has been prolific this year and while this release is definitely more downtempo than the stuff he usually puts out as a producer, or on his Money Sex Records label, it remains a great tune.
Taken from the Andreya Triana – Giants release on Counter Records.
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Sega Bodega – Elis
This Glasgow producer’s ability to craft unique, dreamy rhythms have been supported by Slugabed’s Activia Benz label for a while. Elis is reminiscent of the maximalism that kickstarted his compatriot Rustie’s career but swoops from intricate, laidback percussion one moment to high voltage exhilaration the next.
Taken from the Sega Bodega – Sportswear release on Activia Benz.
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Tsvi – Aquaflush
Tsvi and his Nervous Horizon label have been pushing the boundaries of club music lately and many of their releases show the formation of an overzealous, hyperactive club sound that incorporates ambient, grime and techno without ever really falling into any genre. ‘Aquaflush’ is a perfect example of the futuristic and just plain fun productions that Tsvi and Nervous Horizon have been putting out.
Taken from the NH V/A VOL.1 release on Nervous Horizon.
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Leon Vynehall – Midnight On Rainbow Road
By a country mile the best tune to have a Mario Kart related title this year, ‘Midnight On Rainbow Road’ was released as part of Berlin don Gerd Janson’s Music for AutoBahns compilation. While this serene concoction of atmospheric ambient noise might have you falling asleep at the wheel, I think that you would be hard pushed to find a more laidback record than this production from the Brighton artist.
Taken from the Gerd Janson Presents: Music For Autobahns 2 release on Rush Hour.
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Gundam – Magnetic Rose
Better known for his more energetic dancefloor bangers, ‘Magnetic Rose’ sees Gundam take a backwards step and show a more emotive, contemplative sound. The intimately layered textures that include both Classical strings and otherworldly glitch sounds make for a beautiful, forward thinking piece of music at a different tempo to usual from the Essex based producer.
Taken from the GUNDAM – Magnetic Rose EP self-release.
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A.J Tracey – Wifey Riddim
Definitely one of the breakthrough grime artists this year, ‘Wifey Riddim’ sees A.J Tracey hopping on a seductive but punchy Maribor-produced beat. With a whole host of releases this year blending RnB smoothness and hyper kick drums, Maribor’s production is perfectly complemented by Tracey’s playful yet articulate flow.
Taken from the AJ Tracey – The Front release.
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